“Do
not—”
Seth jumped and grabbed his father’s wrist in
return, squeezing to loosen the man’s grip on Rosamund. “Let go,”
he said in his lowest voice. His father dropped her arm while he
stared at Seth.
Kira walked over to Rosamund, separating her
from the men and whispering into the princess’s ear. They sat, Kira
putting herself between Rosamund and both kings.
The tension now between the three men was so
heavy it beaded on Seth’s skin, pulling it taut and making him
itch. His father cleared his throat. “This is a very delicate time,
and I reacted poorly.”
“We’re not getting married.” And now he
finished what Rosamund started. “Sign any papers you wish, but
there will be no marriage between our kingdoms.”
His father looked murderous for a moment but
apparently thought better of another display of anger. Instead, in
his most diplomatic voice, he said, “I know you are very protective
of Rosamund and desire to grant her every wish—”
“I love Kira,” Seth cut in.
Kira’s gasp was loud in the tension-filled
room. He was doing this all wrong, saying it in the wrong order to
the wrong people. Seth turned away from his father and looked at
her beloved face.
“I love Kira,” he said again, but this time
his eyes were locked with hers, his body moving toward her. “I love
Kira. I have loved her as far back as my memory allows me to
remember, and I’m sure I loved her before that. I love that she’s a
warrior. I love her compassion. I love that with her support, I can
be the best man and the best ruler I’m capable of being.”
She was within touching distance now, and he
stroked his thumb over the line of her cheekbone. She looked up at
him with shining eyes. His beautiful Kira, as she always was—strong
and resolute, ready to follow him no matter how hard the road he
chose to take was. He talked to her now, not his father or the
others surrounding them. “You say I’m good, but don’t you
understand? The reason I can stand so firm is because I know you
are always behind me. I’m never alone, and I’m never scared that
something I say or do can drive you away. How can it? You’re braver
than I’ll ever be.”
“No, not braver,” she replied, tears welling
in her eyes but her smile bright and shining. “Just aware that no
matter the price, it’s worth paying as long as I’m with you.”
He leaned close and laid his forehead against
hers, taking strength from her. “He’s going to disown me,” he
whispered.
“We’ll think of something,” she whispered
back. “I’ll hire myself out as a bounty hunter or a tracker and
lead manhunts, and you can watch everyone’s kids until we get
back.”
Seth laughed, and the sound was bright and
airy. He was free. He could live his life with her. “Deal.”
He leaned down to kiss her, but Matthias’s
voice stopped him. “Seth, Kira – King Thomas and I have something
to say.”
Seth looked at the men. It struck him then
how old they both appeared, how worn, and the barest brush of
sympathy for them rushed over him. It wasn’t just he and Rosamund
who had survived the curse. It had eaten away at these two men as
well – was in part what turned them into the hardened rulers they
were.
Matthias held his head high and looked
straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with all of them. “I make no
apologies for what I have to say,” he began.
He felt Kira’s movement beside him and turned
to look at her. Kira’s eyebrows drew hard together and she gave a
questioning look to Seth. He shook his head. He had no idea where
the king was going with this either.
Matthias continued. “I loved my daughter and
I loved my kingdom. I did what I felt best, and I stand by that
decision.”
Rosamund stood now as well, her look of
confusion as vivid as Kira’s. Matthias did not look at her. If
anything, his movements suggested he was avoiding her most of
all.
Seth glanced at his father, and his
father…his father looked resigned.
not—”
Seth jumped and grabbed his father’s wrist in
return, squeezing to loosen the man’s grip on Rosamund. “Let go,”
he said in his lowest voice. His father dropped her arm while he
stared at Seth.
Kira walked over to Rosamund, separating her
from the men and whispering into the princess’s ear. They sat, Kira
putting herself between Rosamund and both kings.
The tension now between the three men was so
heavy it beaded on Seth’s skin, pulling it taut and making him
itch. His father cleared his throat. “This is a very delicate time,
and I reacted poorly.”
“We’re not getting married.” And now he
finished what Rosamund started. “Sign any papers you wish, but
there will be no marriage between our kingdoms.”
His father looked murderous for a moment but
apparently thought better of another display of anger. Instead, in
his most diplomatic voice, he said, “I know you are very protective
of Rosamund and desire to grant her every wish—”
“I love Kira,” Seth cut in.
Kira’s gasp was loud in the tension-filled
room. He was doing this all wrong, saying it in the wrong order to
the wrong people. Seth turned away from his father and looked at
her beloved face.
“I love Kira,” he said again, but this time
his eyes were locked with hers, his body moving toward her. “I love
Kira. I have loved her as far back as my memory allows me to
remember, and I’m sure I loved her before that. I love that she’s a
warrior. I love her compassion. I love that with her support, I can
be the best man and the best ruler I’m capable of being.”
She was within touching distance now, and he
stroked his thumb over the line of her cheekbone. She looked up at
him with shining eyes. His beautiful Kira, as she always was—strong
and resolute, ready to follow him no matter how hard the road he
chose to take was. He talked to her now, not his father or the
others surrounding them. “You say I’m good, but don’t you
understand? The reason I can stand so firm is because I know you
are always behind me. I’m never alone, and I’m never scared that
something I say or do can drive you away. How can it? You’re braver
than I’ll ever be.”
“No, not braver,” she replied, tears welling
in her eyes but her smile bright and shining. “Just aware that no
matter the price, it’s worth paying as long as I’m with you.”
He leaned close and laid his forehead against
hers, taking strength from her. “He’s going to disown me,” he
whispered.
“We’ll think of something,” she whispered
back. “I’ll hire myself out as a bounty hunter or a tracker and
lead manhunts, and you can watch everyone’s kids until we get
back.”
Seth laughed, and the sound was bright and
airy. He was free. He could live his life with her. “Deal.”
He leaned down to kiss her, but Matthias’s
voice stopped him. “Seth, Kira – King Thomas and I have something
to say.”
Seth looked at the men. It struck him then
how old they both appeared, how worn, and the barest brush of
sympathy for them rushed over him. It wasn’t just he and Rosamund
who had survived the curse. It had eaten away at these two men as
well – was in part what turned them into the hardened rulers they
were.
Matthias held his head high and looked
straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with all of them. “I make no
apologies for what I have to say,” he began.
He felt Kira’s movement beside him and turned
to look at her. Kira’s eyebrows drew hard together and she gave a
questioning look to Seth. He shook his head. He had no idea where
the king was going with this either.
Matthias continued. “I loved my daughter and
I loved my kingdom. I did what I felt best, and I stand by that
decision.”
Rosamund stood now as well, her look of
confusion as vivid as Kira’s. Matthias did not look at her. If
anything, his movements suggested he was avoiding her most of
all.
Seth glanced at his father, and his
father…his father looked resigned.
Similar Books
